Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 4800’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helleborus  plant named ‘COSEH 4800’, characterized by its relatively tall, upright and mounded plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; dark green-colored leaves; moderately freely flowering habit; single greyed purple-colored flowers; 
     and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Helleborus x ericsmithii X Helleborus x hybridus.

Cultivar denomination: ‘COSEH 4800’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Helleborus plant, botanically known as Helleborus x ericsmithii X Helleborus x hybridus and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘COSEH 4800’.

The new Helleborus plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany. The objective of the breeding program was to create new uniform Helleborus plants with unique and attractive plant habit, leaf and flower coloration and tolerance to biotic and abiotic stress.

The new Helleborus plant originated from a cross-pollination conducted by the Inventor in Glandorf, Germany in December, 2012 of a unnamed selection of Helleborus x ericsmithii, not patented, as the female, or seed patent and an unnamed selection of Helleborus x hybridus, not patented, as the male, or pollen parent. The new Helleborus plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled greenhouse environment in Glandorf, Germany in November, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helleborus plant by divisions in a controlled environment in Glandorf, Germany since March, 2015 has shown that the unique features of this new Helleborus plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Helleborus have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘COSEH 4800’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘COSEH 4800’ as a new and distinct Helleborus plant:

-   -   1. Relatively tall, upright and mounded plant habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Dark green-colored leaves.     -   4. Moderately freely flowering habit.     -   5. Single greyed purple-colored flowers.     -   6. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Helleborus differ from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus are taller than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus have greyed purple-colored         flowers whereas plants of the female parent selection have         cream-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Helleborus differ from plants of the male parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus are taller than plants of the         male parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus have darker greyed         purple-colored flowers than plants of the male parent selection.

Plants of the new Helleborus can be compared to plants of Helleborus x hybridus ‘Annas Red’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons, plants of the new Helleborus differ primarily from plants of ‘Annas Red’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helleborus have less distinct leaf venation         than plants of ‘Annas Red’.     -   2. Plants of the new Helleborus are more freely flowering than         plants of ‘Annas Red’.     -   3. Plants of the new Helleborus flower earlier than plants of         ‘Annas Red’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Helleborus plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Helleborus plant.

The photograph on the first sheet is a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘COSEH 4800’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of typical flowers of ‘COSEH 4800’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations, measurements and values describe plants grown during November in 17-cm containers in a glass-covered greenhouse in Glandorf, Germany and under cultural practices typical of commercial Helleborus production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 12° C. to 32° C. and night temperatures ranged from 3° C. to 18° C. Plants were 16 months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Helleborus x ericsmithii X Helleborus x     hybridus ‘COSEH 4800’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Helleborus x             ericsmithii, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Helleborus x             hybridus, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—In vitro meristem culture.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 50 days at             temperatures about 12° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About six             months at temperatures ranging from 4° C. to 15° C.         -   Root description.—Thick to thin, fleshy; typically white to             brown in color, actual color of the roots is dependent on             substrate composition, water quality, fertilizer type and             formulation, substrate temperature and physiological age of             roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Low branching; sparse. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant and growth habit.—Herbaceous perennial; relatively             tall, upright and mounding plant habit with flowers held             within and above the foliar plane; plant shape, roughly             flattened globular; moderately vigorous growth habit;             moderate growth rate.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of foliar plane.—About 30.3             cm.         -   Plant height, soil level to top of flowers.—About 31.6 cm.         -   Plant diameter (area of spread).—About 56 cm. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Leaves arranged in a basal rosette; leaves             palmately compound with typically five leaflets per leaf.         -   Leaf length.—About 20.5 cm.         -   Leaf width.—About 22.5 cm.         -   Leaflet length.—About 14.2 cm.         -   Leaflet width.—About 6.7 cm.         -   Leaf shape.—Palmate; reniform in outline.         -   Leaflet shape.—Obovate to elliptic.         -   Leaflet apex.—Acute to apiculate.         -   Leaflet base.—Attenuate.         -   Leaflet margin.—Coarsely serrate; moderately undulate.         -   Leaflet texture and luster, upper surface.—Smooth, glabrous;             leathery; moderately glossy.         -   Leaflet texture and luster, lower surface.—Smooth, glabrous;             leathery; slightly glossy.         -   Leaflet venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Leaflet color.—Developing leaflets, upper surface: Close to             137C; towards the base, tinged with close to 183A.             Developing leaflets, lower surface: Close to between N186C             and 200B. Fully developed leaflets, upper surface: Close to             darker than between 147A and N189A; venation, close to 143A.             Fully developed leaflets, lower surface: Close to 147B;             venation, close to 200B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 20 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm to 8 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture and luster, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy. Color, upper             and lower surfaces: Close to 144A; densely covered with             small dots, close to 183C. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower shape and habit.—Single rotate flowers; arranged             solitary or in clusters with about 15 flowers each;             moderately freely flowering habit with about 27 flowers             developing per plant; flowers facing outwardly to nodding.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about ten             months after planting; plants flower during the late autumn             into the winter in Germany.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About ten days; sepals             persistent, other flower parts are not persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 2.4 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 cm.             Shape: Broadly ovoid. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             slightly glossy. Color: Close to 195B moderately tinged with             close to N77B and 187C; venation, close to N77B and 187C.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 32.4 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 18.2 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 10.8 cm.         -   Flower depth (height).—About 3.3 cm.         -   Petals.—Transformed into nectaries.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: About five, arranged in a             single whorl. Length: About 5.8 cm. Width: About 4.7 cm.             Shape: Broadly ovate to broadly elliptic, slightly concave.             Apex: Obtuse. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire; moderately to             strongly undulate. Texture and luster, upper surface:             Smooth, glabrous; matte. Texture and luster, lower surface:             Smooth, glabrous; slightly glossy. Color: When opening,             upper surface: Close to 59C to 59D; fine dots, close to             N186D. When opening, lower surface: Close to N186D; fading             slightly towards the margins to close to 187B; venation,             close to 187B. Fully opened, upper surface: Close to 186B;             fine dots, close to 187B. Fully opened, lower surface: Close             to N186D; fading slightly towards the margins to close to             187B; fading towards the apex to close to 186A; venation,             close to 187B.         -   Flower bracts.—Quantity per flower: Typically two. Length:             About 9 cm. Width: About 4.8 cm. Shape: Ovate.. Apex: Acute.             Base: Cuneate. Margin: Distally, serrate; proximally,             entire; strongly undulate to nearly crinkled. Color, upper             surface: Close to between NN137A and 139A. Color, lower             surface: Close to 147B; venation, close to between N186C to             187A.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 26.1 cm. Diameter: About 0.7 cm to             1 cm. Aspect: About 10° from vertical. Strength: Strong.             Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous; moderately glossy.             Color: Close to 144C; fine dots, close to N186D.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 8.2 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm to             3 mm. Aspect: About 20° from peduncle axis. Strength:             Moderately strong. Texture and luster: Smooth, glabrous;             moderately glossy. Color: Close to 183A; fine dots, close to             195C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower:             About 100. Filament length: About 1.9 cm. Filament color:             Close to 150D. Anther shape: Reniform; basifixed. Anther             size: About 2 mm by 3 mm. Anther color: Close to 2C. Pollen             amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 4D. Pistils: Quantity             per flower: About four to five. Pistil length: About 1.5 cm.             Stigma diameter: About 0.3 mm. Stigma shape: Club-shaped.             Stigma color: Close to 157D. Style length: About 1.45 cm.             Style color: Close to 187B to 187C. Ovary color: Close to             184C; stripes, close to 187C. Nectaries (transformed             petals): Quantity per flower: About 16. Length: About             1.3 cm. Diameter: About 3.5 mm. Shape: Tubular, flattened.             Texture and luster, inner and outer surfaces: Smooth,             glabrous; slightly glossy. Color, immature, inner and outer             surfaces: Close to N144B. Color, mature, inner and outer             surfaces: Close to N144B; distally, close to 151C; distal             color becoming closer to 151B with development.         -   Seeds and fruits.—To date, seed and fruit development have             not been observed on plants of the new Helleborus. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helleborus have been observed     to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind, high     temperatures. about 35° C. and to be suitable for USDA Hardiness     Zones 5 through 9. -   Pathogen & pest resistance: To date, plants of the new Helleborus     have not been observed to. be resistant to pathogens and pests     common to Helleborus plants. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Helleborus plant named ‘COSEH 4800’ as illustrated and described. 